Ricky stepped off the bus, onto the dry dirt. Like Stanley wondered on his
first day, Ricky said to the guard; where's the lake? The guard laughed. It
was the same guard that Stanley Yelnats would have months later.
"If I had a dollar for every time I was asked that, I wouldn't have to be on a dirty old bus for more then sixteen hours every damned weekend." Like Stanley, Ricky was treated like dirt by Mr. Sir, had to undress in front of him, then had to meet Mr.Pendanski.
"Why hello, Ricky! I know you've done some bad things in your life, but that doesn't make you a bad person!" he said, placing his hand on Ricky's shoulder, smiling at him. Ricky bit his lower lip and looked around. Three orange jumpsuits came towards them. Mr.Pendanski smiled.
"And these are three of our hardest working youngsters! Rex, Jose, and Amanda. Ricky looked at the girl funny.
"A girl? I thought this was an all boys' camp." he said, confused. The girl looked at him with a sneer.
"Normally yes, but in Amanda's case her family knows the Warden so she got to come here instead of jail. It doesn't matter anyhow; this girl can do the work of any boy at this camp. They are all equal!" he said, touching Amanda's shoulder. She brushed the hand away.
"Yeah, I'm just as tough as any guy. And by the way, nice hair," she said, touching the top of his blonde hair, which was now frizzy. Ricky didn't notice it before, but the heat made his hair go in every direction possible. Amanda walked away, and looked over her shoulder at Ricky again.
"Lets go, X-Ray, Squid!" then turned, dropped her shovel by a small shed, and walked into a room called 'Wreak Room'. The two boys walked past Ricky, each giving him a long stare. It was then Ricky saw one was black, and the other was white. Ricky looked back at Mr.Pendanski, who was smilingly silly.
"To D-Tent!" he said, leading Ricky to a gray tent. Apparently, Ricky was taking place of a boy named Buggy. He wasn't sure if it was his real name, but his question was answered when Mr.Pendanski pointed to a bed and said, "That is where Steven slept." Ricky put down his bags on the vacant bed and looked at Mr.Pendanski. For moments, there was silence then a bell rung.
"Dinner!" he said, slapping Ricky on the back, then left. Ricky then ran out and followed Mr.Pendanski to the mess hall.
*
"Ricky! Over here!" the white kid from earlier called out. Ricky looked at him and made his way over to a table consisting of the three kids from before and three new ones. Amanda reached over the table and grabbed Rickys' bread.
"Its only fair right? I mean, it's only your first day and you haven't even dug a hole yet. I have, so I need the energy boost," she said, then winked at him and bit into the bread. The girl was now wearing a black tank top, with her orange jumpsuit halfway off, the sleeves tied around her waist. Ricky looked across the table to see the same white boy staring, and sneering at him. Naturally, Ricky sneered back. The kid began to laugh.
"I like this guy," he said, smiling at him. Ricky kinda smiled, then her heard the girl laughing.
"Yeah, ZigZag is one ok guy," she said. Ricky looked around confused.
"ZigZag.?" he asked. The girl nodded.
"That will be your nickname!" one of the other boys said. The girl smiled and nodded.
"Ok, ZigZag. This is X-Ray, Squid, Armpit, Barf Bag, Skull, and I'm Princess or The Princess." Ricky, or ZigZag to some, snickered a bit. Princess, or The Princess, stood up and grabbed Ricky by the collar.
"Something funny about my nickname? You think just because I'm a girl I cant have a little class? Just because I'm here with all these guys, that means I have to have a gross or weird nickname?" Ricky didn't know what to say.
"No, its.its fine." He said, and she let go of him. Squid laughed and dug into his food. Amanda stared at him. Then, started eating her food. She turned away from Ricky, and started talking to the other guys. Although he felt it, she wasn't ignoring him.
"If I had a dollar for every time I was asked that, I wouldn't have to be on a dirty old bus for more then sixteen hours every damned weekend." Like Stanley, Ricky was treated like dirt by Mr. Sir, had to undress in front of him, then had to meet Mr.Pendanski.
"Why hello, Ricky! I know you've done some bad things in your life, but that doesn't make you a bad person!" he said, placing his hand on Ricky's shoulder, smiling at him. Ricky bit his lower lip and looked around. Three orange jumpsuits came towards them. Mr.Pendanski smiled.
"And these are three of our hardest working youngsters! Rex, Jose, and Amanda. Ricky looked at the girl funny.
"A girl? I thought this was an all boys' camp." he said, confused. The girl looked at him with a sneer.
"Normally yes, but in Amanda's case her family knows the Warden so she got to come here instead of jail. It doesn't matter anyhow; this girl can do the work of any boy at this camp. They are all equal!" he said, touching Amanda's shoulder. She brushed the hand away.
"Yeah, I'm just as tough as any guy. And by the way, nice hair," she said, touching the top of his blonde hair, which was now frizzy. Ricky didn't notice it before, but the heat made his hair go in every direction possible. Amanda walked away, and looked over her shoulder at Ricky again.
"Lets go, X-Ray, Squid!" then turned, dropped her shovel by a small shed, and walked into a room called 'Wreak Room'. The two boys walked past Ricky, each giving him a long stare. It was then Ricky saw one was black, and the other was white. Ricky looked back at Mr.Pendanski, who was smilingly silly.
"To D-Tent!" he said, leading Ricky to a gray tent. Apparently, Ricky was taking place of a boy named Buggy. He wasn't sure if it was his real name, but his question was answered when Mr.Pendanski pointed to a bed and said, "That is where Steven slept." Ricky put down his bags on the vacant bed and looked at Mr.Pendanski. For moments, there was silence then a bell rung.
"Dinner!" he said, slapping Ricky on the back, then left. Ricky then ran out and followed Mr.Pendanski to the mess hall.
*
"Ricky! Over here!" the white kid from earlier called out. Ricky looked at him and made his way over to a table consisting of the three kids from before and three new ones. Amanda reached over the table and grabbed Rickys' bread.
"Its only fair right? I mean, it's only your first day and you haven't even dug a hole yet. I have, so I need the energy boost," she said, then winked at him and bit into the bread. The girl was now wearing a black tank top, with her orange jumpsuit halfway off, the sleeves tied around her waist. Ricky looked across the table to see the same white boy staring, and sneering at him. Naturally, Ricky sneered back. The kid began to laugh.
"I like this guy," he said, smiling at him. Ricky kinda smiled, then her heard the girl laughing.
"Yeah, ZigZag is one ok guy," she said. Ricky looked around confused.
"ZigZag.?" he asked. The girl nodded.
"That will be your nickname!" one of the other boys said. The girl smiled and nodded.
"Ok, ZigZag. This is X-Ray, Squid, Armpit, Barf Bag, Skull, and I'm Princess or The Princess." Ricky, or ZigZag to some, snickered a bit. Princess, or The Princess, stood up and grabbed Ricky by the collar.
"Something funny about my nickname? You think just because I'm a girl I cant have a little class? Just because I'm here with all these guys, that means I have to have a gross or weird nickname?" Ricky didn't know what to say.
"No, its.its fine." He said, and she let go of him. Squid laughed and dug into his food. Amanda stared at him. Then, started eating her food. She turned away from Ricky, and started talking to the other guys. Although he felt it, she wasn't ignoring him.